One Lucky Girl: Violet's Titanic Tale
by LydiaDiCalari
Summary: BASED ON A TRUE STORY - Have you ever thought yourself lucky to survive something? I have. I've always been considered one lucky girl. And when you're battling for survival during the sinking of the Titanic, you need all the luck you can get...
1. Chapter 1

_**Violet's Story**_

_**CHAPTER 1 - One Lucky Girl**_

_**AUTHOR'S NOTE - Whilst reading a history book in the library about Titanic, I came across a paragraph about a lucky stewardess who survived both the sinking of Titanic and her sister ship Olympic. I decided to research her more, and discovoured the adventurous ife of Violet Jessop. I decided to write a story based on her life, which I hope I can do without changing history too much. As I write the story, I'll write the historical changes I've made at the end of the chapter, so please don't hate me for changing history!**_

_**In a way, I'm writing this story as a tribute to Violet. She was a real stewardess on Titanic and her sister ship Olympic (which she survived the near sinking of). She then narrowly survived the sinking of Olympic, which for a wman was about the closest to the front line you could get in World War One. I thought a life like that was worht writing a fanfiction about. So, here's my best shot at it! **_

_**By the way, those of you that were reading Love Lasts for Eternity, I'm taking a break from writing it, so I can write this one. I WILL get back to it eventually, but for now I'm writing this.**_

_**So, read on guys, here's my first chapter! **_

_**R.I.P Violet Constance Jessop **_

_**October 2nd 1887 - May 5th 1971**_

Over the course of my life, I've had more than my fair share of luck. I've been through and survived a lot more than most people. Not that I laugh in the face of fate. I've never made a habit of thinking myself immune to bad luck. In fact, everytime I was faced with death, I thought to myself, _this is it. I'm going to die. Any minute now..._

But hold on, I'm not making sense to you. I'll start from the begining, then you'll understand. My name is Violet. Violet Constance Jessop. Daughter of William and Katherine Jessop, oldest of 6 surviving siblings. I was born in the Argentine, where my father worked as a sheep farmer. I was the first of a total of 9 brothers and sisters, 6 of which survived (I guess lucky isn't a family inheritence).

Origionally from Dublin, my parents travelled to the Argentine so my father could farm sheep in 1886. This was a year before I was born, and we stayed in the Argentine until my father died. Ater the tragic death, my mother took me and my siblings back to Great Britain, where we stayed. I attended a convent school there and continued my education until I started work on board RMS. Olympic.

My first lucky escape came when I was a mere infant. Sick with tuberculosis, the doctor told my parents to fear the worst. Though destined to die, I miraculously survived the illness, with no last side-effects. Nothing shrot of a trully lucky escape.

"You even had the doctor baffled, Vi", my mother told me when I was older "Fooled us all, you did. All the doctor could say that you were one lucky girl"

"One lucky girl". Ironic isn't it? Maybe that doctor was a soothsayer, but he dubbed me right. Throughout the course of my life, I proved myself worthy of the title. Only now I'm taking the time to write it all down have I realised just how lucky I am. After all, any normal girl who can survive tuborculosis as an infant, the near sinking of Olympic, the sinking of Olympic's two sister ships Titanic and Britannic surely deserves to be called One Lucky Girl.

But I'm only going to tell you about my experiences aboard the Titanic. That was the one that changed my life, the one I'll remember most for the rest of my life. So here it is, the story of One Lucky Girl's escape from the biggest disaster at sea of the 20th century...


	2. Chapter 2

April 5th 1912

Closing my suitcase with a _click_, I sighed and took one last glance around my small, bare bedroom. Plain as it was, I knew I would miss it. It was the room I shared with 2 of my siblings, Anna and Rosemary. They were too young to work for a decent pay, so when Mother fell too ill to work, it was up to me to support the family. I was leaving for Southampton that morning, to board the R.M.S. Titanic.

When mother had fallen ill the previous week, which the doctor informed us would prevent her from working again, I'd swallowed my sadness and walked into town to search for a job. I'd had a job before, as a stewardess aboard the Titanic's sister ship, R.M.S. Olympic. The pay was good, the work reasonable, but the ship had collided to the British war ship, H.M.S. Hawke, and had limped back into Southampton with damage that would need emergency repairs. I and most of the staff of the ship were dismissed of our jobs.

With experience aboard Olympic under my belt, I'd applied for a position as a stewardess aboard her sister Titanic, for her maiden voyage. With a previous record of experience, I was hired. I was delighted to be earning a wage I could send home to my family, and not the least bit worried. You'd think that after surviving the near-sinking of R.M.S. Olympic, I'd be driven away from working on any ship, let alone Olympics' sister ship. But I was not easily scared at the best of times, and what helped was that Titanic was unsinkable. Of course this ship was completely safe; it was a huge unsinkable structure. The biggest in the world. And surely any ship that could be given such a title was as safe as houses?

And with that security, I packed my suitcase on the morning of April 5th 1912 and set off for Southampton. Joining me on the trip was my liver spotted Dalmatian, Chessie. She was an ex carriage dog, who had been abandoned by her previous owners when she broke a bone in her paw and couldn't run behind the carriage anymore. I rescued her, as I could never see an animal in distress and not do anything to help. I named her Chessie after her spots. Liver spotted Dalmatians are sometimes considered not to be pure bred dogs, but they are just as pure bred as black spotted Dalmatians. But anyway, her spots were a wonderful chestnut brown. I did consider calling her Chestnut, but it didn't sound right, so I just called her Chessie for short. My little brother Frank said I should call her Nutty for short instead, as she sometimes did act strangely. Chessie would be staying in the ship's kennels with the other dogs. Her passage was free, courtesy of the White Star Line, as I was an employee. So I and Chessie were both going to see the land of opportunity that was America, on board the grandest ship in the world.

I felt my stomach ache with sadness as I said goodbye to my mother and siblings.

"You take care, Vi", my mother told me as she hugged me tight.

"I will, Mother" I replied tearfully. "And I'll send home my wage when I reach New York"

"Oh, Violet, I wish you didn't have to work so hard. Your job nearly cost you your life last year, I can't think why on earth you want to set foot on another ship"

"You've seen the advertisements in the papers, Mother. Titanic is unsinkable. Don't worry, I'll be perfectly safe"

"Well, all the same, you can't stop me worrying"

Well, Mother could worry all she liked, but I was unfazed by working on a ship. In fact, I was buzzing with excitement at working on the largest, grandest ship in the world. I did feel important! Who cares if I was just a stewardess? I felt just as important as those big posh aristocrats in first class. I was a girl with a thirst for adventure, so the added bonus was the fact that I'd get to see New York! I was originally born in the Argentine, so I'd travelled a little. But I'd always felt the need to see the world, explore. What's the point of living if you're not going to live a little? Titanic gave me that opportunity. The freedom to travel on the grandest ship in the world, with a decent pay, and the security that I was on board a ship God couldn't sink. Jackpot!

~*~*~

April 7th 1912

After a smooth journey down to Southampton, I spent the remainder of the time prior to boarding preparing for the trip. I'd received my uniform for the trip, and was delighted to be wearing crisp new clothes with barely a crease. I'd rarely had brand new clothes. I'd always been given handed down clothes or had made them myself from bolts of fabric. This smooth new black dress and white pinafore was like an early Christmas present. I adored it.

I was told my White Star Line that the regulations required me to wear my hair pinned up. I'd groaned in dismay, I'd always liked my thick auburn hair tumbling down my back. It made me feel wonderfully feminine. I'd always detested my hair piled up on top of my head, held into place with pins. But who was I to question the rules? If I complained they could easily replace me with a click of their fingers. There were plenty of people wanting to work aboard the Titanic. I was hardly an asset to them. But I could live with my hair up. What mattered was that my family would have food on the table and a roof over their heads. And with that thought in my head, I was ready to work.

~*~*~

April 10th 1912

The day Titanic was to set sail, and my first day of work, was a busy one. I left the small inn I was staying in close to the harbour, and went to the White Star Line officer early in the morning with Chessie beside me, a makeshift lead around her neck (a piece of rope loaned by the inn keeper), to see where they wanted me to be. I wasn't the only employee eager to start work, when I arrived at the office, there was a small group gathered outside the doors waiting to receive their marching orders. I nervously joined them, eager to prove myself worthy of the job.

Within a few minutes of waiting, a man in a White Star Line uniform came out to address us. He cleared his throat loudly to get our attention, and we quietened to hear him speak.

"Thank you all for coming so early, it will give all of us more time to prepare for the coming voyage" he said with a warm smile. "Now, the ship will set sail at exactly noon, which should give you all a chance to settle in and been working. Here is what will happen..." And he began giving out instructions to people of various jobs. I waited until he finally said "And finally, stewards and stewardesses please follow me and I will take you to your quarters aboard the ship"

We followed the man across the streets to the harbour where Titanic was docked. I let out a gasp of amazement when I first saw the huge ship. She was a great metal giant, gleaming, brand new. She was a true beauty, and I was proud to be a member of her staff. We walked along the harbour to the gangways leading onto the ship's deck. The White Star Line officer led us up the gangway and onto the deck of the huge ship. I looked over the side of the ship in amazement at how far down it was to the pavement. Wow. I looked around at the spotless deck around me. It was so clean, so pristine. Rather picturesque.

We were led across the deck and inside the entrance that led down to our quarters. The inside of the ship was just as wonderful was the outside. Clean, neat as a pin, in fact I wouldn't have known I was on a ship. Why, it was just like a high class hotel! I wondered just how splendid the first class areas could be. The staff areas were wondrous enough! They were bright and clean with decent furniture and a cheery feel to them.

The White Star Line man led us to the main staff quarters (holding the door open for us and nodding cheerily as we went in), but gave me a frown when he saw Chessie.

"Uh, Miss, we do not allow dogs in the staff area" he said, looking at Chessie as though she could lunge aggressively at him at any moment, when really, she was standing quietly by my side, not so much as whine coming from here.

"Oh, well, where shall I put her then? The White Star Line gave me permission to have her with me, I asked them myself"

"Yes, it's not a question of it- um, her, being here, it's just that all dogs must be kept in the kennels and may only leave to be walked on the top deck. If you'll kindly follow the signs to the kennels, you can leave her there and come back"

A little annoyed that I couldn't keep my dog with me, I willingly led Chessie through the corridors, following the signs to the kennels. I was amazed at how complicated it was to find my way through a ship. Twice, I lost my way and only found the kennels after asking a maid for directions. But in the end, we reached the right place, and I left Chessie in the safe hands of the man who cared for the dogs, who assured me she would be well looked after and that I was free to take her up on deck whenever I wanted (not that I'd have much free time once the ship set sail). Chessie whined a little when I turned to leave; she was nervous in this strange place without me. I stroked her head comfortingly and left he kennels, wishing she could stay with me.

After finding my way back to the staff quarters (getting lost several times again), I entered through the door and into what would be my home for the coming voyage.

**AUTHOR'S NOTE – OK, here are some points of history that I've changed for the story:**

**I invented the names of Violet's siblings, Anna and Rosemary. I couldn't find any of their real names (she had 6 surviving siblings) so I made them up. They won't be important in the story so I don't think it matters too much.**

**I have no idea if Violet had any pets, but she certainly didn't have a liver spotted Dalmatian on the Titanic with her. I made Chessie up as a fictional part of the story (any of you who have read Love Lasts for Eternity will notice that my stories involve animals, particularly dogs. I can't help it; I am a great animal lover and love having animals in my stories).**

**I don't know when the staff of Titanic boarded or where they lived on the ship, there wasn't much detail of that in the research I did in books and online. Not many people are interested in where they lived or what they did on Titanic so there isn't much information about them, but I did my best.**

**And that's it, I think. Hope you liked the chapter; I'll get the next one up soon, hopefully!**


	3. Chapter 3

**AUTHOR'S NOTE – Here's chapter 3 then! Not a lot more to say, I guess... Ha-ha! Anyway, here it is! Hope you like it, please review and point out any historical mistakes I might have made. I do research for this story but it's hard to get exact details right; there wasn't much info about the stewardesses of Titanic. Anyway, all help welcome and enjoy!**

April 10th 1912

The quarters I would be living in for the voyage consisted a reasonably sized main room with cheery wallpaper and soft carpet, furnished with a simple fireplace and several sofas, armchairs and a couple of bookcases. It had a warm, friendly feel to it, the sort of place you'd feel right at home in. The room was empty; everyone else had already gone to unpack their things in the dormitory's leading off from the main room. I looked at the information form I had been given when accepted for the job, and found that I was in dormitory number 3.

I quickly found the door and entered, finding myself in a simple room with 3 beds, a wash sink, and a small chest a drawers and side table for each bed. Sunlight purred in through a single porthole, and above the wash sink was a small wooden frame mirror and a shelf for toiletries. It was a simple, but pleasant room. The walls were white washed, the smell of fresh paint still strong, with not a scratch or a scrape. The smooth carpet was clean and a dark crimson colour, freshly cleaned with not a single trace of dirt. Everything was so brand new, so pristine, like it was built just for us.

Over in one corner, a blonde haired girl who could only have been a year or so younger than me, was unpacking her clothes, her open suitcase lay opened on top of her bed. She turned her head to see who had entered, revealing a pair of sky blue eyes. A few freckles were dotted over her nose and her skin was light, creamy beige. She smiled at me, showing her slightly crooked teeth.

"Hello" she said brightly in a thick London accent, walking over to me. "I'm Lucy. I guess we're sharing a room, eh?"

"Yes, I suppose so" I replied, shaking her extended hand. "I'm Violet" She smiled a friendly smile at me, and I smiled back. I knew then that I'd just made my first friend on board the ship.

I selected one of the two remaining beds and began to unpack my things. I hadn't brought much; just a spare dress, my uniform, night dress, toothbrush, soap and a framed picture of my family that had previously stood on my dresser at home. I placed it on the table beside my bed, positioning it so I could look at it at night. I felt a sudden sadness when I looked at that picture. It was taken in the Argentine, before we left. We looked so happy; my mother and father, me and my other siblings. I quickly wiped away a single tear from my eye and cheered myself up with the fact that I was going to see them soon, after the journey to and from America.

"Your family?" asked Lucy, indicating the photo.

"Yes" I replied, continuing to unpack my things. Lucy had already put out a small framed photo of a dark haired young man and a little girl of about 2.

"Is that your family?" I asked, indicating her photo. Lucy nodded, looking at it.

"My husband, Will, and my daughter, Harriet"

"She looks just like you" I said, noting the little girl's long blonde hair and the exact same smile as her mother's. Lucy smiled.

"Thank you" she replied, gazing at the photo. I knew how she felt. We were both leaving our loved ones behind for our jobs. "She wanted to come with me. I told her I'd be back in a couple of weeks, and I doubt that she isn't counting every hour" she continued, with a chuckle.

"The same with my little sister" I replied. "She wanted to come see America too. I promised I'd bring her back some post cards of New York instead"

We continued to chat as we unpacked out things, until a third person came through the door. Our last roommate was a tall, thin woman of about 30 with a no nonsense vibe about her. She wore her thick jet black hair in a long plait swung over her shoulder. She had dark brown, beady eyes, thin lips and a hooked nose. She reminded me somewhat of a crow! She gave us a slight smile and a nod, and pranced briskly over to the last remaining bed, smoothing the covers before placing her suitcase on top and opening it. I raised my eyebrows to Lucy, sensing she considered herself a cut above us. Lucy raised her eyebrows back, and cleared her throat loudly. The woman looked up and nodded in greeting.

"Hello" said Lucy brightly.

"Hello" the woman replied politely before going back to her unpacking. She spoke with a voice that sounded well spoken, as if she thought she could use it to kid herself she was up here with the rich and famous in first class.

"I'm Lucy and this is Violet" Lucy introduced us both.

"Hello" I greeted with a smile. The woman nodded to me and said nothing. I raised my eyebrows at Lucy again.

"Um, what's your name?" I asked her. She looked up at me, studying my frame with her beady eyes. She paused for a moment before finally replying.

"Anastasia"

"That's a nice name" Lucy commented.

"Thank you" Anastasia replied dully.

"Can we just call you Anna?" I asked jokily.

"No" she replied, not seeing the fun side.

"Um, so..." Lucy shuffled from one foot to the other, not sure what to say next. "Nice room, huh?" she asked, looking around vaguely.

"Well, it is a little plain for my liking but it will do" Anna commented with a displeased look around. "I should tell you now that I don't take kindly to un tidiness" she eyed us both.

_Who does she think she is? _I asked myself in my head.

"No, of course not" Lucy replied with false understanding, but I could clearly tell she was thinking the same thing. We both went back to sorting our belongings, an awkward silence filling the room.

**AUTHOR'S NOTE – Here are some historical changes I made to the story in the chapter:**

**I have no idea what the rooms the stewardesses stayed in were like, there was no information I could find about that part of the ship on the internet. So I just improvised the best I could.**

**I don't know if there were stewardesses called Lucy or Anastasia. I based the character of Lucy on a woman briefly shown in the movie. When Thomas Andrews is hurrying people up to the boat deck (when Rose is trying to find him), he briefly tells a stewardess called Lucy to put on her lifebelt and set a good example. I decided to base Lucy on her, as that's the name Thomas Andrews calls her.**


End file.
